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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ground — crushed
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ground — a position
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mark — a trace
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com